Delta8 thc marketplace is the rapid rise of products, typically marketed as hemp-based products containing delta-8- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC, pronounced “delta8-THC”) has raised significant concerns surrounding the impacts on public health and safety of these unregulated products.
Because Δ8-THC typically occurs at very low to insignificant levels in nature in the cannabis flower, it is currently not economically feasible to extract natural Δ8-THC.
Thus, products containing Δ8-THC are synthetically derived and thus the crux of the issue.
Some estimate the synthetic cannabinoid market to be $10 billion by 2025 , amplifying the need for standardization and regulation of not just Δ8-THC, but synthetic cannabinoids in general and the control of the processes before allowing unabated public consumption.
The issue is multi-faceted by Delta8 thc marketplace :
- – Products containing Δ8-THC are being marketed and sold as safe and legal hemp-based products to consumers and lack any formal or informal oversight by public health agencies.
- – Unlike hemp-based products, containing CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, Δ8-THC is moderately psychoactive.
- -There is uncertainty regarding the legality of these products based on the language in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, the Controlled Substances Act, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Analogues Act, and others.
- -The process to derive Δ8-THC for addition into products begins with cannabidiol (CBD) and is a synthetic process utilizing harsh and toxic chemicals that are not safe for human consumption
- -The process not only creates Δ8-THC but also other cannabinoids including delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) as well as many impurities that are not well characterized.
Why Did the delta8 THC Marketplace Develop So Rapidly?
Products containing can be found in gas stations, convenience stores, and even some cannabis dispensaries throughout the United States and beyond.
They are in gummies, vaporizer cartridges, tinctures, and more. Its rise is largely attributed to the oversupply of CBD shortly after the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (commonly known as the Farm Bill).
The Farm Bill defined the term “hemp” as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinoid (Δ9-THC) concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis”.
Additionally, it removed hemp from the definition of marihuana from the Controlled Substances Act, resulting in “hemp” no longer being a Schedule I controlled substance.
The following year, 2019, saw a four-fold increase in the amount of hemp acreage licensed for growing, resulting in a flood of biomass for the creation of hemp-based products, including commonly found CBD products that are marketed and sold as wellness products for human consumption.
Not surprisingly, prices of both the biomass (hemp flower) and bulk CBD oil fell over 80% during 20192 causing a flurry of bankruptcy filings and pushing struggling producers to seek to innovate and discover alternative products that could be profitable.
The synthesis of Δ8-THC from CBD extracted from hemp biomass quickly became a key part of that solution.